My mom suffers from peripheral neuropathy from prior chemotherapy treatments. Past couple of days have been torture for her, CBD does wonderful things for neuropathy pain & FPCC was so accommodating & efficient! Can’t thank them enough! She is now enjoying a cherry lollipop & can’t wait to try her other goodies. Looking forward to ordering from Flower Power Coffee Co again.

There’s also been a lot of talk lately about “microdosing” CBD. This refers to an incremental process of finding your minimum effective dose. You can do this with any concentration of CBD oil, but lower concentrations will take longer. In a 2017 article in Rolling Stone, Dr. Dustan Sulak outlines his protocol for microdosing. You can begin this process by asking yourself three questions:

Effective in January 2017, the DEA (which typically refers to marijuana by the plant’s scientific species name, Cannabis sativa, or the Reefer Madness-era spelling “marihuana”) made a rule stating its marijuana scheduling includes “marihuana extract.” In the rule, the agency defined “marihuana extract” as an “extract containing one or more cannabinoids that has been derived from any plant of the genus Cannabis”—which would include CBD.

Not quite. Ours are from hemp and RSHO is usually using marijuana, a different form of cannabis than industrial hemp. Our industrial hemp extracts are more standardized and will usually have a much higher content of non-psychoactive cannabinoids like CBD than one produced through the Rick Simpson method. And oils produced through this method will usually have a much higher THC content, as it’s typically marijuana that is used for RSHO.†

The extract known as CBD oil sold in the U.S. falls into one of two categories. Crystalline isolate exclusively contains CBD, as other cannabinoids have been removed; full spectrum oil, on the other hand, retains THC and other cannabinoids, and is only sold in states where marijuana use has been legalized. CBD oil can be consumed several different ways, including ingested capsules and food products, vaporizing, tinctures, and topical creams. The soporific effects of CBD oil are linked to its concentration; low-concentration oils will produce minimal effects, while high-concentration oils will produce strong effects.

If you’d rather try CBD at home before sipping in the wild, head to your local dispensary. Many carry CBD teas, oils, tinctures and tonics, and their knowledgeable staff can help you choose quality products and answer any questions you have. Fifteen milligrams is usually the best dose to start with, and you can increase or decrease from there depending on how you feel. If you’d like to mix up a cocktail, I’d recommend picking up a tincture (Lord Jones and Cordial Organics are two of many brands that make them), with added flavors like orange oil, and experimenting with integrating it into classic combinations. Try a simple gin and tonic, a margarita or even a mint julep. If you’re not afraid of egg whites in your cocktail (which you shouldn’t be, because it’s delicious), you can make some really impressive-looking drinks with a few drops of CBD oil on the top.